Forestry infringements cited

Rotorua geography presented health and safety challenges with its range of terrain types. Photo / File

Bay of Plenty forestry operations have faced 60 health and safety enforcement actions in the past 10 months, according to WorkSafe New Zealand.

The industry is the country's most dangerous, with 28 fatalities since 2008.

WorkSafe has issued 60 enforcement notices to local operators since August last year. Notices can include written warnings, improvement notices, infringement notices and prohibition notices.

Enforcement action can be taken for safety failings such as a written warning for a tree-feller operating without a radio for communications or a prohibition notice for an unsafe digger.

Bay of Plenty's enforcement actions included three prohibition notices for problems such as a damaged guy rope and a damaged cab on a vehicle.

The figures follow the release this month of the Independent Forestry Safety Review panel's public-consultation document highlighting industry health and safety concerns.

PF Olsen chief executive Peter Clark in Rotorua, who is also vice-president of the New Zealand Forest Owners Association, said the association fully supported the independent safety review.

It was not a good indicator of better health and safety, he said.

"The incidents of serious harm are still relatively high and we would expect some change to that to take some time.

"This is a bit of a journey, it's not an instant fix."

Mr Clark said PF Olsen was making a submission on the safety review's consultation, and he saw the document as "95 to 98 per cent sensible, do-able, achievable".

Rotorua geography presented health and safety challenges with its range of terrain types, he said.

The Central North Island was "blessed with a pool of very competent and committed contractors", but recreational drug use among work crews was still a challenge for them.

"Contractors have to be constantly alert for evidence or signs of impairment, because guys won't fess up."

PF Olsen adhered to the forest owners' drug and alcohol code, but would appreciate stronger Government leadership, said Mr Clark.

Almost 300 WorkSafe NZ enforcement actions had been taken nationwide since August, including 25 partial or full shutdowns due to imminent danger of serious injury or death.

FIRST Union general secretary Robert Reid said a safety crisis had been unfolding in the forestry industry, with nearly 30 deaths and almost 1000 serious injuries in five years.